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1 Library of Congress. 1 



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I^UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.^!! 

9-167 



WHAT A LITTLE 



OR, 



SIMPLE LESSONS ON THE CREED,- LORD'S PRAYER 
TEN COMMANDMENTS, ETC. 

DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF 



PARENTS, SPONSORS, AND TEACHERS. 

/ 

BY ! 

JENNY MARSH PARKER. 




NEW YORE: 

STANFORD & DELISSEE, 508 BEOAD "WAY. 
1858. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by 
D. M. DEWEY, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Northern District 
of New York. 



LC Control Number 



tmp96 031778 



WHAT A LITTLE CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



CHAPTEE I. 
HOW GOD HAS BLESSED YOU. 

Y dear child, did 
you ever look at 
this beautiful earth 
— the wide, bloom- 
ing meadows; the 
blue sky; the pretty flow- 
ers — and let your heart overflow with love 
and joy, because you Tcnow who is the good 
Maker of them all? Were you ever thank- 




4 



WHAT A LITTLE 



ful for knowing who makes the birds to 
sing, the fruit to ripen, the violets and 
roses to look and smell so sweetly? And 
did yon ever think how very sad it would 
be, if you were playing with your little 
brother, in the garden, some day — some 
bright June morning, when the bees, and 
birds, and roses all seemed as happy as 
you — and that little brother should ask 
you who made the sun, the grass, and the 
singing birds, and you should have to 
say, in reply, "I do not know; no one has 
ever told me!" — would not that be a very 
sad thing for a child to say? If any one 
should ask you that same question, could 
you give a better answer? 

Or, suppose you should wander into a 
graveyard, with that little brother, where 
the old and young, the rich and the poor, 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



5 



were resting together, and you should sit 
down upon a grave — may be the grave 
of one you love better than all the living 
people in the world — and, with a wonder- 
ing voice, that little brother should ask, 
"Where have all the dead people gone? 
What will become of us after we die? 
What will happen to us?" — and you 
should have to say, in reply, "I do not 
know; no one has ever told me!" — can you 
think how sad that would be? 

Or, if you should get very angry with 
that little brother, some day, and should 
strike him, throw him on the ground, 
and say words that anger brought, and 
some one should lay a hand upon your 
shoulder, and say, "Do you not know 
that you are sinning, that you are taking 
God's name in vain, and, if you do like 



6 



WHAT A LITTLE 



this, lie will not love you?" — and you 
should have to say, "I know nothing 
about God, or why I should not be angry, 
and say what I please?" — think, dear 
child, would not that be very sad? 

Yet there are, in this wide world, very 
many little children that do not know of 
God, or his blessed Son, Jesus; and, even 
in our land, yes, in our city, those that 
never heard or spoke the holy name, but 
as an oath. They were not born of Chris- 
tian parents, who early gave them to the 
Lord, and led their young feet to the 
house of God; but their parents were lost 
in sin ; and alas for the little ones born to 
such a lot ! Do you feel very bad for them, 
and believe that they, having never known 
God, must be very wicked indeed? Stop, 
a moment, my child. Can you not think 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



7 



of those that are greater sinners, by far, 
in the sight of heaven? 

Does a little boy that knows not Grod, 
and so does not pray to him, sin as deep- 
ly as the one that has been baptized in 
his name, and taught his holy word, who 
but seldom says his prayers, and, then, in 
a thoughtless hurry ? If you know God, 
and sin against him, who, in his sight, is 
the greater sinner, the little heathen, or 
you? 

I fear you do not think enough about 
these great things. If many beautiful 
presents fell into your hands, and you did 
not know the giver, could you be blamed 
for not offering him thanks ? But, if you 
did know who he was, and should then 
refuse to go to him in gratitude, would you 
not be very unworthy of such kindness? 



8 



WHAT A LITTLE 



God, in his loving mercy, has blessed 
you. You were not born in a land where 
God is unknown, and where you would 
have grown up in ignorance of him ; nor 
were your parents so lost in guilt and sin, 
that every thing pure and holy was shut 
out of your heart, and you brought up for 
the prison and gallows. A Christian fath- 
er and mother were yours : and, while you 
were a little babe, they carried you to 
church to be baptized and consecrated to 
the service of the Lord Jesus ; and you, 
sweet infant that you were, were "re- 
ceived into Christ's flock, and signed with 
the sign of the Cross, in token that you 
should not be ashamed to confess the faith 
of Christ crucified, but manfully to fight, 
under his banner, against sin, the world, 
and the devil, and to continue Christ's 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



9 



faithful soldier and servant, unto your life's 
end." 

Thus were you placed within the sa- 
cred fold — the kingdom of Christ on 
earth— and made a lamb of that good Shep- 
herd, who has said, " Suffer the little child- 
ren to come unto Me, and forbid them 
not ; for of such is the kingdom of God. 
Verily, I say unto you, whosoever shall 
not receive the kingdom of God, as a little 
child, he shall not enter therein." 

Have you wandered away from that good 
Shepherd? Have you left the sweet pas- 
ture, which He gives his dutiful children, 
and gone out as a sinner into the world, 
caring not for him or his people, but filling 
your heart with naughtiness and guilt? 
Are the sacred vows your sponsors made 
for you at your baptism lightly forgotten — 



10 



WHAT A LITTLE 



vows that you must fulfill ; and the God 
of heaven is your Judge? Aye, they were 
written in characters of light, and will 
appear to you at the last great day ; and 
blessed are you, if, then, you can say, 
" Lord, I have, at least, sought to keep 
them all," and can hear him answer, 
"Well done, good and faithful servant; 
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 

And, in this little book, I would place 
before you the holy vows your sponsors 
made, hoping you will think seriously of 
them, and pray God to help you fulfill 
them. And, as they also promised to 
have you instructed in the Creed, the Lord's 
Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and 
other parts of the Church Catechism, I 
will present to you those articles of the 
Christian faith and duty, trusting, if you 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW, 



II 



have not already committed them to 
memory and heart, you will soon do so. 

"Grant, gracious Lord, that these thy 
children may walk in the truth, and be 
burning, shining lights, in this world of 
darkness and sin." 

My dear child, when you read these 
articles, let it be in a slow and thoughtful 
manner. Pause and think, at the end of 
each sentence, so that you may rightly 
understand them; and may the Holy 
Spirit impress them upon your heart. 



CHAPTER II. 
A CATECHISM. 

That is to say, An Instruction to be Learned by eyery 
Person, before He be brought to be Confirmed by 
the Bishop. 

|t HAT IS YOUE NAME ? 

"N. or M. [You 

lllliljBwill here reply by 
giving your Chris- 
tian name.] 
§5315 " Who gave you this name? 
"My sponsors, in baptism; wherein I 
was made a member of Christ, the child 
of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom 
of heaven." 




Let us stop here, a moment, before 



14 



WHAT A LITTLE 



going further. Did you think what you 
were saying, when you just said that you 
had been made a member of Christ, a 
child of G-od, and an inheritor of the king- 
dom of heaven ? Have you, thus far, in 
your short life, proved yourself worthy 
to claim that blessed inheritance? Do 
you always behave like a child of G-od, or 
would people little think, by your con- 
duct, that you have put on Christ ? " Ye 
are all the children of G-od, by faith in 
Christ Jesus ; for as many of you as have 
been baptized into Christ have put on 
Christ." Have you ever cast hirn aside 
for Satan and the world? 

"What did your sponsors then for 
you? 

" They did promise and vow three things, 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



15 



in my name : first, that I should renounce 
the devil and all his works, the pomps 
and vanity of this wicked world, and all 
the sinful lusts of the flesh ; secondly, that 
I should believe all the articles of the Chris- 
tian faith ; and, thirdly, that I should keep 
God's holy will and commandments, and 
walk in the same all the days of my life." 

Let me give you a few of the many 
sacred texts that led them to make these 
holy vows for you. Jesus said, "Love not 
the world, neither the things that are in 
the world. If any man love the world, 
the love of the Father is not in him. For 
all that is in the world, the lust of the 
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the 
pride of life, is not of the Father, but is 
of the world." And again we are told, 



16 



WHAT A LITTLE 



"Christ gave himself for our sins, that he 
might deliver us from the present evil 
world." "Hereby, we do know that we 
know him, if we keep his commandments. 
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth 
not his commandments, is a liar, and the 
truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth 
his word, in him verily is the love of God 
perfected : hereby, know we that we are 
in him. He that saith he abideth in him, 
ought himself also so to walk, even as he 
walked." And remember, dear children, 
that "we are made partakers of Christ, if 
we hold the beginning of our confidence 
steadfast unto the end" 

"Dost thou not think that thou art 
bound to believe, and to do, as they 
have promised for thee?" 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 17 



Do not make this answer lightly; it 
will fall from your lips either as a false- 
hood or a truth. 

"Yes, verily; and, by God's help, so I 
will. And I heartily thank our heavenly 
Father, that he hath called me to this 
state of salvation, through Jesus Christ, 
our Saviour. And I pray unto God to 
give me his grace, that I may continue in 
the same, unto my life's end." 

You said, "And I pray unto God, to 
give me his grace," etc.; have you ever 
prayed to him for it? Jesus said, "What- 
soever ye shall ask the Father in my name, 
he will give it to you." 

"Reheakse the articles of thy belief, 
2 



IS 



WHAT A LITTLE 



The Apostles' Creed. " 1 believe in God, 
the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven 
and earth ; and in Jesus Christ, his only 
Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the 
Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary ; 
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was cruci- 
fied, dead, and buried ; he descended into 
hell ; the third day he rose from the dead ; 
he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on 
the right hand of God, the Father Al- 
mighty ; from thence he shall come, to 
judge the quick and the dead. 

" I believe in the Holy Ghost ; the 
holy Catholic Church, the communion of 
saints ; the forgiveness of sins ; the resur- 
rection of the body ; and the life everlast- 
ing. Amen." 

My dear children, I hope you will 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 19 

never repeat this creed as some persons 
do upon every Lord's day. They have 
learned it by heart, but have it not in the 
heart, and so they repeat it over, just as 
they would the multiplication table, but 
not with as little harm; for they sin 
deeply before God, when they stand up 
boldly in his house, and say they believe in 
him as the Father Almighty, and in Jesus 
Christ their Lord and Saviour, who died 
for them, when their thoughts are wan- 
dering upon earthly things, all the time. 
It is a very solemn thing, to say that 
you believe the Apostles' Creed ; and, 
when you repeat it, my dear children, 
think of what you are saying, and that 
God knows whether you believe in him 
or not ; and can you stand up and lie to 
God? 



20 



WHAT A LITTLE 



"What dost thou chiefly learn in 
these articles of thy belief ? 

"First, I learn to believe in God the 
Father, who hath made me and all the 
world. 

"Secondly, In God the Son, who hath 
redeemed me and all mankind. 

"Thirdly, In God the Holy Ghost, who 
sanctifieth me and all the people of God." 

Now, would you have the Bible evi- 
dences of the truth of this creed, upon 
which our Church places the utmost im- 
portance? I wish you would commit 
them to memory, so that, if any one 
should ask you, "My child, why do you 
believe in God, in Jesus Christ, or the 
forgiveness of sins?" you could answer 
with a Bible text that justifies you. 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



21 



You must be able to give a reason of 
your hope, or some people will say you 
believe that which you have no good rea- 
son for believing. I will give you the 
several articles of the creed, and, below 
them, the Bible evidence. 
"I believe in God" 

" Believe in the Lord, your God, so shall 
ye be established." 2 Chron. xx. 20. 

" "Without faith, it is impossible to 
please him; for he that cometh to God, 
must believe that he is." Heb. xi. 6. 

"Unto thee it was showed, that thou 
mightest know that the Lord he is God; 
there is none else beside him." Deut. 
iv. 35. 

" The Father Almighty." 

"Have we not all one Father? hath not 
one God created us?" Mai. ii. 10. 



22 



WHAT A LITTLE 



"Maker of heaven and earth" 

"In the beginning God created the 
heaven and the earth." Gen. i. 1. 

"And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our 
Lord." 

" Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he 
shall save his people from their sins." 
Matt. i. 21. 

" God sent his only begotten Son into 
the world." 1 John iv. 9. 

" Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, 
born of the Virgin Mary." 

"Fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy 
wife, for that which is conceived in her 
is of the Holy Ghost." Matt. i. 20. 

"Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was cruci- 
fied, dead, and buried." 

" The chief priests and elders of the peo- 
ple took counsel against Jesus to put him 

m 
I 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



23 



to death ; and, when they had bound him, 
they led him away, and delivered him 
to Pontius Pilate, the governor. When 
he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him 
to be crucified; and they stripped him, 
and put on him a scarlet robe ; and, when 
they had platted a crown of thorns, they 
put it upon his head, and a reed in his 
right hand; and they spit upon him, and 
took the reed, and smote him on the head; 
and, after that they had mocked him, they 
led him away to crucify him. Jesus, when 
he had cried again with a loud voice, 
yielded up the ghost; and, when Joseph 
had taken the body, he wrapped it in a 
clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own 
new tomb." Matt, xxvii. 1, 2, 26, to 31, 
50, 59, 60. 



24 



WHAT A LITTLE 



"He descended into hell; the third day he 
rose from the dead" 

" Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell ; 
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One 
to see corruption." Psalm xvi. 10. 

"What is it, but that he also descended 
first into the lower parts of the earth?" 
Eph. iv. 9. 

" He rose again, the third day, accord- 
ing to the scriptures." 1 Cor. xv. 4. 

"He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the 
right hand of God, the Father Almighty" 

" After the Lord had spoken unto them, 
he was received up into heaven, and sat 
on the right hand of God." Mark xvi. 19. 

"From thence, he shall come to judge the 
quick and the dead" 

"It is he which was ordained of God to 
be the judge of quick and dead." Acts x. 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



25 



42. (The word quick here means those 
that are alive.) 

" The Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge 
the quick and the dead, at his appearing 
and his kingdom." 2 Tim. iv. 1 

"I believe in the Holy Ghost" 

" Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan 
filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost ? 
Thou hast not lied unto men but unto 
God." Acts v. 3, 4. 

"He that shall blaspheme against the 
Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness; but 
is in clanger of eternal damnation." Marie 
iii. 29. 

"The Holy Catholic Church." 

" Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed 
us to God, by thy blood, out of every kin- 
dred and tongue, and people, and nation." 
Rev. v. 9. 



26 



WHAT A LITTLE 



" That he might present it to himself a 
glorious Church, not havuig spot or wrin- 
kle, or any such thing ; but that it should 
be holy and without blemish." JEpli. v. 
27. 

" The Communion of saints" 

" That which we have seen and heard, 
declare we unto you, that ye also may 
have fellowship with us ; and, truly, our 
fellowship is with the Father, and with 
his Son, Jesus Christ. If we walk in the 
light, as he is in the light, we have fellow- 
ship one with another." 1 John i. 3, 7. 

"The forgiveness of sins" 

" There is forgiveness with thee, (God) 
that thou may est be feared." Psalm 
cxxx. 4. 

" Blessed are they whose iniquities are 
forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



27 



is the man to whom the Lord will not 
impute sin." Rom. iv. 7, 8. 

"The resurrection of the body, " 

" Thy dead men shall live: together 
with my dead body shall they arise." Isa. 
xxvi. 19. 

" The hour is coming, in the which all 
that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 
and shall come forth — they that have done 
good, unto the resurrection of life." John 
v. 28, 29. 

"And the life everlasting. Amen." 

" He gave his only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth in him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life." John 
in. 16. 

"His servants shall serve him; and 
they shall reign for ever and ever." Rev. 
xxii. 3, 5. 



28 WHAT A CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 

" These shall go away into everlasting 
punishment; but the righteous into life 
eternal." Matt. xxv. 46. 

Thus you see, my dear children, that 
the creed is firmly built upon the Bible. 
I have not given you a tenth part of the 
texts that can be brought forward to sup- 
port each article, but enough to give you 
a reason for your belief in it. Will you 
not learn these passages, and thus 
strengthen your heart in " the faith once 
delivered to the saints? " 




CHAPTER III. 



THE COMMANDMENTS, AND LORD'S 
PRAYER. 



Millie OU SAID THAT 

your sponsors did 
promise for you, 
that you should 
keep Cod's com- 




I 1 fill 




:j MANDMENTS : TELL ME HOW 
MANY THERE ARE. 

" Ten. 

" Which are they? 
"The same which Cod spake in the 
twentieth chapter of Exodus, saying, I am 



30 WHAT A LITTLE 

the Lord thy God, who brought thee out 
of the land of Egypt, out of the house of 
bondage. 

"I. Thou shalt have none other gods 
but me. 

"II. Thou shalt not make to thyself 
any graven image, nor the likeness of any 
thing that is in heaven above, or in the 
earth beneath, or in the water under the 
earth. Thou shalt not bow down to 
them, nor worship them; for I, the Lord 
thy God, am a jealous God, and visit the 
sins of the fathers upon the children, unto 
the third and fourth generation of them 
that hate me ; and show mercy unto 
thousands, in them that love me, and 
keep my commandments. 

"III. Thou shall not take the name of 
the Lord thy God in vain ; for the Lord will 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



31 



not hold him guiltless that taketh his 
name in vain. 

"IV. Remember that thou keep holy 
the Sabbath-day. Six days shalt thou 
labor, and do all that thou hast to do; 
but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the 
Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no 
manner of work, thou, and thy son, and 
thy daughter, thy man servant, and thy 
maid servant, thy cattle, and the stranger 
that is within thy gates ; for in six days 
the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea 
and all that in them is, and rested the 
seventh day : wherefore, the Lord blessed 
the seventh day, and hallowed it. 

"V. Honor thy father and thy mother, 
that thy days may be long in the land 
which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 

" VI. Thou shalt do no murder. 



32 



WHAT A LITTLE 



"VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

"VHL Thou shalt not steal. 

"IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness 
against thy neighbor. 

"X. Thou shalt not covet thy neigh- 
bor's house, thou shalt not covet thy 
neighbor's wife, nor his servant, nor his 
maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing 
that is his. 

"What dcst thou chiefly learn by 
these commandments ? 

"I learn two things, my duty towards 
God, and my duty towards my neighbor. 

"What is thy duty towards God ? 

" My duty towards God is, to believe in 
him ; to fear him ; and to love him with 
all my heart, with all my mind, with all 
my soul, and with all my strength; to 
worship him ; to give him thanks ; to put 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 33 

my whole trust in him ; to call upon him ; 
to honor his holy name and his word; 
and to serve him truly all the days of my 
life. 

"What is thy duty towards thy 
neighbor ? 

"My duty towards my neighbor is, to 
love him as myself, and to do unto all 
men as I would they should do unto me ; 
to love, honor, and succor my father and 
mother ; to honor and obey the civil au- 
thority; to submit myself to all my gov- 
ernors, teachers, spiritual pastors, and 
masters ; to order myself lowly and rever- 
ently to all my betters ; to hurt nobody 
by word or deed ; to be true and just in 
all my dealings ; to bear no malice nor 
hatred in my heart; to keep my hands 

from picking and stealing, and my tongue 
3 



34 



WHAT A LITTLE 



from evil speaking, lying and slandering; 
to keep my body in temperance, soberness, 
and chastity; not to covet nor desire 
other men's goods, but to learn and labor 
truly to get mine own living, and to do 
my duty in that state of life unto which 
it shall please God to call me. 

"My good child, know this — that 
thou art not able to do these things 
of thyself, nor to walk in the com- 
MANDMENTS of God, and to serve him, 
without his special grace, which thou 
must learn, at all times, to call for 
by diligent prayer : let me hear, there- 
fore, if thou canst say the lord's 
Prayer. 

"Our Father who art in Heaven, hal- 
lowed be thy name ; thy kingdom come ; 
thy will be done on earth, as it is in 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 35 

heaven ; give us this day our daily bread ; 
and forgive us our trespasses, as we 
forgive those who trespass against us; 
and lead us not into temptation; but 
deliver us from evil. Amen" 

My dear child, have you repeated this 
prayer of our blessed Saviour so often, 
without thinking of what you were say- 
ing — what you were asking God for — 
that you do not know how full of love 
and beauty it is ? Have your lips said it, 
but your heart been dumb? That is the 
way too many say their prayers ; and is it 
not lying to Grod, to kneel before him, and 
profess our adoration and love, when our 
minds are on something else, all the time? 
Oh ! were it not better never to pray, than 
to be a hypocrite to Him that looketh into 



36 



WHAT A LITTLE 



the hearts of men, and understandeth all 
their thoughts? 

Do you know what it means to pray, 
"forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive 
those that trespass against us?" I have 
known little children that had said the 
Lord's Prayer ever since they were old 
enough to repeat it after their mother; 
yet, when they were asked what trespass 
meant, could not tell; and so they did 
not understand one of the most blessed 
petitions that was ever made. To trespass 
means, to transgress — to offend, to commit 
wrong, or sin, against another. You ask 
your heavenly Father to forgive your sins 
against him and his laws, even as you for- 
give those persons that sin against you, or 
do you wrong. So, if you pray, " forgive 
us our trespasses, as we forgive those that 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 37 



trespass against us," when you have any 
hatred or malice toward those that have 
done you ill, how will God forgive your 
many great sins against him? "If ye 
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly 
Father will also forgive you; bat, if ye 
forgive not men their trespasses, neither 
will your Father forgive your trespasses." 

"What desirest thou of God in this 
Prayer? (Lord's Prayer.) 

"I desire my Lord God, our heavenly 
Father, who is the giver of all goodness, 
to send his grace unto me and to all peo- 
ple; that we may worship him, serve 
him, and obey him, as we ought to 
do: and I pray unto God, that he will 
send us all things that are needful, both 
for our souls and bodies ; and that he will 



38 WHAT A CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 

be merciful unto us, and forgive us our 
sins ; and that it will please him to save 
and defend us in all dangers, both of soul 
and body ; and that he will keep us from 
all sin and wickedness, and from our spir- 
itual enemy, and from everlasting death ; 
and this I trust he will do, of his mercy 
and goodness, through our Lord Jesus 
Christ; and, therefore, I say, Amen: so 
be it." 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE SACRAMENTS. 

OW many Sacra- 
ments hath Christ 
ordained in his 
Church? 
"Two only, as gen- 
^?!S^^^^^ erally necessary to salvation ; 
that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper 
of the Lord. 

"What meanest thou by this word 
Sacrament?" 

" I mean an outward and visible sign 
of an inward and spiritual grace given 




40 



WHAT A LITTLE 



unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a 
means whereby we receive the same, and 
a pledge to assure us thereof. 

"how many paets are there in a 
Sacrament? 

" Two ; the outward visible sign, and 
the inward spiritual grace. 

" What is the outward visible sign, 
or form, in Baptism? 

"Water; wherein the person is bap- 
tized, in the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Grhost. 

"What is the inward and spiritual 

GRACE? 

"A death unto sia, and a new birth 
unto righteousness; for, being by nature 
born in sin, and the children of wrath, we 
are hereby made the children of grace. 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 41 



" What is required of persons to be 
baptized ? 

"Repentance, whereby they forsake 
sin; and faith, whereby they steadfastly 
believe the promises of God made to them 
in that sacrament. 

"Why, then, are infants baptized, 
when, by reason of their tender age, 
they can not perform them? 

"Because they promise them both by 
their sureties : which promise, when they 
come to age, themselves are bound to 
perform. 

"Why was the sacrament of the 
Lord's Supper ordained? 

"For the continual remembrance of the 
sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of 
the benefits which we receive thereby. 



42 



WHAT A LITLLE 



" What is the outward part, or sign, 
of the Lord's Supper. 

" Bread and wine, which the Lord hath 
commanded to be received. 

" What is the inward part, or thing 
signified ? 

"The body and blood of Christ, which 
are spiritually taken and received, by the 
faithful, in the Lord's Supper. 

" What are the benefits whereof 
we are partakers thereby? 

" The strengthening and refreshing of 
our souls by the body and blood of Christ, 
as our bodies are by the bread and wine. 

"What is required of those who 
come to the Lord's Supper? 

" To examine themselves, whether they 
repent them truly of their former sins; 
steadfastly purposing to lead a new life, 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW 



43 



have a lively faith in God's mercy, 
through Christ, with a thankful remem- 
brance of his death, and be in charity 
with all men." 

If you are quite young, you may not 
perfectly understand these questions and 
their answers; but you must commit 
them to memory, as well as you can ; 
and, as you grow older, they will be 
plainer to you. It is highly important 
that you, who have been baptized, and 
thus made members of the congregation 
of Christ, should know the Creed, the 
Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, 
and the other parts of the catechism, as 
you will thus be made acquainted with 
the chief principles of the Christian 
faith — the faith of His Church, to which 



44 



WHAT A LITTLE 



you belong. If you attend Sunday- 
school — and I trust you do — you will 
have the catechism, here given you, made 
more simple ; and your teacher or pastor 
will often question you upon it, and ex- 
plain it to you. 

It is very important, my dear children, 
that you should believe in God, and the 
holy truths of his gospel, and know why 
you believe; that you should have a firm 
faith in the truth Jesus Christ estab- 
lished upon earth, and know why you 
cherish that faith ; and that you, young 
as you are, should be able to tell just 
what your belief, or creed, is. Now, if 
some wicked person that did not believe 
in God or the Bible should ask you, 
" Why do you have faith that there is a 
God Almighty ?" what answer would you 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



45 



make. Would you not tell him, "Be- 
cause, when I look around upon this beau- 
tiful earth, full of its fruits, and living 
things — up to the great starry heavens, 
or at my own little body, so " fearfully 
and wonderfully made," I know that 
there is a wise and loving power, who has 
made all of these things, keeps them in 
order, and is constantly creating new. I 
know that man could never make the grass 
to grow ; the flowers to bloom ; the sun 
to rise and set; my heart to beat, or 
my blood to flow through my veins — 
I know that some one greater and wiser 
than man does all these things; and I 
love him, and adore him : and He is Go 

And, should that person further ask, 
"Why do you believe in the Christian 
faith, and cherish the Church you say 



46 



WHAT A LITTLE 



Christ founded upon earth?" — this is 
the answer every good Sunday-school 
scholar would make : 4 4 Because I believe 
in Jesus Christ, who came into the world, 
to teach us the will of Cod, and the con- 
ditions of salvation. His miracles, and 
perfect life, and heavenly doctrines, 
showed that he was sent from Cod. I 
know the Christian faith is the same he 
taught to his followers. I know it 
makes men kind and peaceful, pure of 
heart, and temperate, and just, and mer- 
ciful, and holy, as he is. It gives us 
strength to overcome the sins of this 
world, to bear our trials and sorrows, and 
to make ourselves fit for heaven. And I 
cherish the Church, because it cherishes 
the Christian faith, and, by keeping within 
its fold, I may receive needful grace, and 



> 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



47 



become a more perfect follower of Jesus." 
And, if you are asked what you believe, 
how plainly and perfectly you can tell, if 
you know and understand the creed. I 
say understand, for you must understand, 
before you can clearly believe. If you 
have always been a careless child, and 
never paid any attention to what the 
creed contains, but merely repeated it 
over and over without thought, are you 
prepared to say you believe it? 

When you are older, and go out into 
the world, to think and act for yourself, 
you will find very many who do not be- 
lieve in the Bible, or have faith in our 
Blessed Saviour; and you will even dis- 
cover, among those who profess to be 
followers of Jesus, unbelievers in many 
of the great truths he taught. And these 



48 



WHAT A LITTLE 



persons will strive to overthrow your 
faith, and to fill your mind with their 
doubts and errors. By and by, in years 
to come, if you read a great deal, as I sup- 
pose you will, you will see that many 
books have been written against the Chris- 
tian faith, and have led many to disbe- 
lieve it. I tremble for you, my dear little 
children, when thinking of all your faith 
must meet, and the wreck it will surely 
have, unless it is firmly built. Many a 
child, like you, born, and baptized in 
the Church, brought up . in the Sunday- 
school, and given every opportunity for 
forming a good character, has gone out 
into the world, as you must soon go, and, 
instead of defending the faith, and trusting 
in God, has listened to unbelievers, and 
been overwhelmed at last by doubt and 



CHILD SHUtJLD KNOW. 



49 



error, and died without faith in God or 
Christ Jesus. Shall it be so with you? 
Will you ever turn against Christ, your 
Saviour, that you now profess to love and 
worship, or be ashamed to confess him 
before men, saying, like faithless Peter, 
" I know him not ! " God keep you with- 
in the fold, dear little ones, and you your- 
selves " unspotted from the world." 

You have heard the parable that 
Jesus gave to his disciples, in his sermon 
upon the Mount, of the wise and the 
foolish man, and the houses they built. 
Let me repeat it to you again, as it is in 
the gospel according to St. Matthew : 

" Therefore, whosoever heareth these 

sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will 

liken him unto a wise man, which built 

his house upon a rock; 
4 



50 



WHAT A LITTLE 



"And the rain descended, and the floods 
came, and the winds blew, and beat upon 
that house, and it fell not: for it was 
founded upon a rock. 

"And every one that heareth these say- 
ings of mine, and doeth them not, shall 
be likened unto a foolish man, which built 
his house upon the sand ; 

"And the rain descended, and the floods 
came, and the winds blew, and beat upon 
that house ; and it fell : and great was the 
fall of it." 

Now, my child, are you building your 
faith upon a rock, like the wise man — 
that is, are you firm in your belief of the 
principles of the Christian faith, so firm 
that the rain of trouble, the winds and 
floods of error, may beat upon it, and it 
shall not be overthrown? Are you now, 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 51 



in your childhood, while at the Sunday- 
school, laying the foundation of your 
faith, and building upon a rock, by prac- 
tising what you know to be your duty to 
God and your neighbor, or, like the 
foolish man, are you building upon the 
sand, by your heedlessness of God's com- 
mands? Let me tell you what you are 
doing, if you are like the latter. You 
learn your Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the 
Ten Commandments, and other Sunday- 
school lessons, so that you can repeat 
them to your teacher; but you never stop 
to think what you are saying when they 
fall from your lips ; and so little do you 
understand them, or care to, that you re. 
peat a falsehood, whenever you say "I be- 
lieve" in the creed. When you kneel 
down to pray, you do not think of God or 



52 



WHAT A LITTLE 



Jesus Christ, but repeat the prayer as fast 
as you can, and then rise up, no better 
than you were before. You go to church, 
but laugh and whisper while there, or, 
instead of joining in the prayers, and 
hearing the sermon, your thoughts are 
busy about something else. What is such 
a faith — if it is worthy of the name — 
most like? 

"Unto the foolish man which built his 
house upon the sand; 

"And the rain descended, and the floods 
came, and the winds blew, and beat upon 
that house; and it fell: and great was the 
fall of it." 

But, if you are doing just contrary to 
all that — if you pray with faith and 
earnestness, if you try to understand and 
obey the truths of the gospel, and to show 



CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 



53 



forth that desire in every act of your life — 
you are building upon the rock, and are, 
moreover, keeping the solemn vow your 
sponsors made for you at your baptism, 
by renouncing the devil and all his works, 
the pomps and vanities of this wicked 
world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh ; 
you are believing the articles of the Chris- 
tian faith, and keeping God's holy will 
and commandments, and striving to walk 
in the same ; and God grant, in his loving 
mercy, that, when the rains, and winds, 
and floods, shall beat upon your house, it 
shall prove as firm as the rock on which 
it is built. 

You will soon reach the age when it 
will be your duty to renew the solemn 
promise and vow that you made, or that 
was made in your name, at your baptism, 



54 WHAT A CHILD SHOULD KNOW. 

and to confirm — that is, to make Jirm, or 
to establish — the same. In the sacred 
rite of confirmation, you will fulfill a vow 
to Grod — a vow that you alone can fulfill ; 
and, if you perform it with sincerity and 
faith, the blessings of heaven will be 
upon you, and Jesus will count you as 
one of his fold on earth. At your baptism, 
your sponsors promised for you ; but, at 
your confirmation, your own heart must 
make the solemn vows. 



DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 




assist the dear 
children that read 
this little book, to 
live the holy lives 
their heavenly Fa- 
ther demands of them, I have 
selected the following short directions for 
prayer, which I hope they will put into 
daily practice. In Bishop Lee's Prayers 
for Children, a little book they all should 
have, may be found appropriate petitions 
for the beginning of each day. 



56 



DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 



" MORNING. 

" As soon as you awake in the morning, 
try to give your first thoughts to God. 
Think of his goodness, in keeping you 
from the dangers of the night past, and 
in giving you another day. 

" After you have put on your clothes, 
kneel down, and offer up your morning 
prayers, remembering that God sees you. 

"Before you begin the duties of the 
day, read some portion of your Bible. 

"EVENING. 
" Before you say your evening prayers, 
call yourself to an account for the way in 
which you have spent the day ; how you 
have said your prayers, and done all your 
duties. Recollect what blessings you 



DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 



57 



have received from God, and what faults 
yon have been guilty of against God and 
your neighbor. Ask God to show yon 
your sins, and to give you true repent- 
ance for what you have done amiss. 

"Ask yourself these questions very seriously, 
remembering that God sees you, and that 
you can not deceive him. Ask, 

"Did I lie in bed longer than I ought 
to have done, this morning? 

"Did I say my prayers very seriously 
and devoutly, as soon as I got up? or did 
I get up so late as to hurry them over? 

"Do I love and obey my parents, as I 
ought? or have I been rude, naughty, or 
sulky? 

"Do I obey and respect my teachers? 
and have I tried to be good, and learn my 
lessons, and do my duty ? 



58 DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 

"Have I thanked God for his goodness 
to me? 

"Have I been greedy or selfish? 

"Have I told tales of any one? 

"Have I said what was not true? or 
have I been sly or deceitful? 

" Have I taken what did not belong to 
me? 

" Have I injured any person's things? 

"Have I been cross and unkind to my 
playfellows, or brothers, or sisters ? 

"Have I been cruel to insects or ani- 
mals ? 

"When your conscience accuses you of 
any of these sins, say, O heavenly Father, 
forgive me this sin, for Jesus Christ's 
sake. 

" Then, kneeling down, as in the morn- 
ing, say your evening prayers ; and try to 



DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 59 

compose yourself to rest, and to give your 
last thoughts to your crucified Saviour. 

"DIRECTIONS FOR READING HOLT 
SCRIPTURE. 

"When you have said your morning 
prayer, you may then go cheerfully to 
your work, and rely upon the divine good- 
ness for a blessing. 

"But, first, if you have time, I advise 
you to read some short psalm, or piece of 
a chapter out of the gospels, or historical 
books; because they are most easy to 
be understood ; remembering the example 
of young Timothy, who was bred up to 
know the Scriptures from a child. 

"But, if you have not time, on ordinary 
days, to read the Scripture, be sure to 
read somewhat of it on Sundays, and holy 



*>V DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 

days, and at night, when you are just going 
to bed, that you may close the day 
with holy thoughts ; and, if you hearken 
diligently to it, when it is read, you do, in 
effect, read it yourself. 

"Now, to make your reading the more 
profitable to you, begin with one or more 
of these short prayers. 

« PRAYERS BEFORE READING HOLY 
SCRIPTURE. 

"Wherewithal, Lord, shall a young 
man cleanse his way? even by ruling 
himself after thy word. 

" Lord, open mine eyes, that I may see 
the wonderful things of thy law. 

" heavenly Father, I humbly beg thy 
Holy Spirit so to help me, at this time, to 
read, and understand, and to remember, 



7 
/ 



DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 61 

and practice thy word, that it may make 
me wise unto salvation. 

"When you are thus prepared, then 
begin to read ; and consider that it is 
God's most holy word you read, and that, 
all the while you are reading, God is speak- 
ing to you; and, therefore, read with atten- 
tion and humility, and endeavor, as much 
as you can, to suit your affections to the 
subject you read. 

"For instance, if you read of any of 
G-od's commands, they should excite in 
you a zeal to keep them. 

" If you read any of God's threatenings 
against sinners, or his judgments on 
them, they should excite in you a fear to 
provoke him. 

"When you read any of his gracious 



62 



DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 



promises, they should encourage and 
quicken your obedience. 

" When you read any of God's mercies, 
they should excite you to thanksgiving. 

"And, to this purpose, in the midst of 
your reading, say, 

" Lord, give me grace to obey this com- 
mand ; — or, 

1 'Lord, deliver me from this sin, or this 
judgment ; — or, 

" Lord, I trust in this good promise; — or, 

" Glory be to thee, Lord, for this 
mercy ; — or, 

" Lord, I believe and adore this mystery. 
Say one of these, according as best agrees 
with the subject you read; and, when 
you have read as much as you can con- 
veniently, conclude with one of these 
Bhort prayers : 



DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 63 



« PRAYERS AFTER READING. 

44 Blessed be thou, O Lord; O teach 
me thy statutes. 

44 Lord, make thy word a lantern unto 
my feet, and a light unto my path. 

44 Lord, make thy word my delight and 
my counselor. 

" COLLECTS. 

44 The collects in the prayer-book will 
often help you to pray for the very things 
you want. Thus : 

"If y ou wish to pray to be freed from sin, 
you may use any or all of these: 

44 First Sunday in Advent ; first Sunday 
after Easter; St. Andrew; St. James; St. 
Matthew. 

"If for contrition, or sorrow for sin: 

4 4 Ash Wednesday. 



64 



DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 



" If for pardon of sin, and acceptance with 
God, any of these : 

" Twelfth, twenty-first, twenty-fourth 
Sundays after Trinity; Purification; and 
Sunday after Epiphany. 

"If for grace to do good, the following will 
suit you : 

" Fifth Sunday after Easter ; fifth, ninth, 
eleventh, thirteenth, seventeenth, twen- 
ty-fifth Sundays after Trinity. 

"If you have need of prayers to be saved 
from temptation, you may use these : 

" Fourth Sunday in Advent; fourth 
Sunday after Epiphany; eighteenth Sun- 
day after Trinity. 

" If you want to pray for God to help you 
when in sorrow, use 

" Sexagesima ; Septuagesima ; fourth 
Sunday in Lent." 



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